This invention relates to a radiation dosimetry method and associated devices for carrying out the method. More particularly, this invention relates to a method and associated apparatus for quantitatively determining, in a convenient and timely manner, a dose of radiation applied to a patient or other subject.
In facilities where radioactive materials are used, for example, in hospitals where cancer patients receive radiation treatments or in blood banks where blood products are irradiated, various methods are used to quantitatively determine the radiation dose. The methods practiced include the use of thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD's), ionization-type radiation detectors, photographic film, and radiochromic materials. TLD's are inconvenient because they require a complicated and time-consuming read-out process. Ionization-type radiation detectors are awkward and unwieldy and require a complicated setup. Photographic film requires a time-consuming chemical processing procedure before read-out. Radiochromic materials are inconvenient in current practice because the calculation of the dose requires a complex sequence of steps, subject to operator error.